The Demands of Rome: Her Own Story of Thirty-One Years as a Sister of Charity in the Order of the Sisters of Charity of Providence of the Roman Catholic ChurchSchoffen, Elizabeth
Religion
The Demands of Rome: Her Own Story of Thirty-One Years as a Sister of Charity in the Order of the Sisters of Charity of Providence of the Roman Catholic Church
Schoffen, Elizabeth
Ex-nuns -- United States -- Biography; Monastic and religious life of women
It was in this condition that, one day in the late winter I had been out
from early in the morning, walking the streets in quest of some honest
employment that I might keep body and soul together. My clothing was
very thin; my feet nearly bare. I arrived _home_ about nine o'clock in
the evening, tired and disappointed from the day's unsuccessful effort,
as I had done many other nights. Had I been successful, it would have
helped the woman I was with just as much as it would have helped me, and
it would only be natural to think that she would have been very anxious
to know about the day's result. But, quite to the contrary, when I
arrived home this particular evening the doors were all locked against
me, and by a woman who pleased to call herself Protestant. And I wish it
plainly understood that this was not a warm summer night, but just the
opposite, a cold, dark, wintry night in the latter part of February.
Could anyone blame me for believing the terrible stories I had heard
about Protestant people while I was in the convent?
I made my presence known by knocking on the door, but this lady who was
comfortably warm in her bed did not condescend to stir herself to admit
me. I found a window which was not locked and I entered by climbing
through it. When she saw that I was inside she asked, "How did you get
in?" Indeed, I will never forget that question. Imagine, if you can, the
feeling I had. There were six vacant beds in the house that night, but
with the unwelcome feeling which was implied by her actions and talk, I
did not retire, but laid on the sofa in the clothes I had worn during
the day, as I did for several nights to follow. Shame, shame on such
Protestant people! To my sorrow I have found many who have the same
spirit that this lady had. She evidently did not care what became of me.
If she did not want me there, why did she not tell me? No, she would
rather break what little spirits I had remaining.
In the meantime, I had made the acquaintance of two real Protestant
people, Mr. and Mrs. E. U. Morrison. I went to Mrs. Morrison the
following morning and told her about the above incident. She told me
that I did not have to endure this kind of treatment, and that, if I
wished, I could move to her home, and that as long as she had a crust of
bread it would be shared with me. I accepted her very kind offer, and
moved a few days later, March 1st. From that day till now, they have
been the Good Samaritan to me, always the same in all kindness and
Christian spirit. All I am, all I have today, I owe it, to a certain
extent, to these good people, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison. "For I was an
hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I
was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick,
and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me." Matt. 25:35,
36.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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